PSAMFP Calendar

Application deadline. Students to submit application materials using the
OCI tab in Symplicity not later than noon.

February 9-13, 2015

Anticipated that employers’ interviews will be conducted during this week.

February 25, 2015

Anticipated deadline for employers to notify students of selection to be a Fellow
in the summer of 2015.

Introduction and Overview: The Puget Sound Area Minority Fellowship Program (PSAMFP) is designed to provide summer
associate opportunities to minority first-year law students from the University of Washington and
Seattle University Schools of Law. Students who are chosen to participate as Fellows in this highly
competitive program will be selected as first-year summer associates with one of the program’s
participating employers. The program is based on the National Minority Clerkship Program, which
was designed and endorsed by the American Bar Association Commission on Opportunities for
Minorities in the Profession. The PSAMFP was founded by representatives from interested law firms,
the Loren Miller and Hispanic Bar Associations, and the two local law schools. It has been endorsed
by the Asian, Hispanic, Northwest Indian, and Seattle-King County Bar Associations, and by the
University of Washington and Seattle University Law School Alumni Associations. In 1997, the
PSAMFP (previously the Puget Sound Area Minority Clerkship Program/PSAMCP) received the
WSBA’s Affirmative Action Award, “in recognition of the Program’s contributions in creating and
advancing career opportunities for minorities in the legal profession.” The program was renamed in
2010 to better reflect its similarities with other private law firm fellowship programs.
The program’s pilot year was 1991, and the summer of 2015 will mark the PSAMFP’s twenty-fifth
year.

What is a PSAMFP Fellowship?

Finalists will be offered a Fellowship for the summer of 2015, the principal
component of which is a summer associate position with one of the participating
employers. Positions are expected to pay a weekly rate of not less than $1,000.
Fellows are required to work for a minimum of 10 weeks.

Employers participating in the 2015 PSAMFP are:

Application Process

Applicants should apply for the program through their law school’s Symplicity
system not later than noon on Wednesday, January 21, 2015.

Materials to be submitted are:

Personal statement, one to two pages in length, which will serve as a cover letter. Please
be sure your name and address appear at the top of the letter. The personal statement will
provide the employers with information the applicant wishes the reviewers to know about
his or her personal background, aspirations, etc. It should be addressed to:

Writing sample, 3-5 pages (Typically a first-year legal writing assignment, not significantly edited by others, which reflects the applicant’s writing in the context of legal analysis.)

An official or unofficial undergraduate transcript, and an official or unofficial law school transcript to the extent such law school transcript is available.

Selection Process

All participating employers will review application materials to select candidates for interviews.
The selected candidates will be invited by individual employers to participate in interviews (either
at employer’s offices or on-campus) with the participating employer. Following the interviews
and after completing reference checks, the participating employers will select candidates to whom
a Fellowship (summer associate position) for the summer of 2015 will be offered.

The participating employers will be responsible for integrating the students into their respective
summer programs. Some participating employers have additional background check or reference
checking requirements. The participating employers will consider a number of factors in the selection
process, including undergraduate academic credentials, law school academic credentials if available,
undergraduate experiences and activities, employment and other life experiences, demonstrated
writing ability, and skills and attributes demonstrated during interviews.

For complete information, see the Summer of 2015 Program Description, Procedures
and Schedule on the link above or in the Symplicity Documents Library.